W30 Fully Restored, No Expense Spared
Make: | Oldsmobile |
Model: | 442 |
Type: | Coupe |
Trim: | W30 |
Year: | 1968 |
Mileage: | 67,579 |
VIN: | 344878Z103424 |
Color: | White |
Engine: | 400 |
Cylinders: | 8 |
Transmission: | Automatic |
Drive type: | RWD |
Interior color: | Black |
Vehicle Title: | Clear |
Item location: | Ladera Ranch, California, United States |
Extras |
Listed by |
Private seller |
Description of 1968 Oldsmobile 442 W30 |
Video Link: (please copy and paste into your browser for full walk around and driving video). https://vimeo.com/267539494 I am a private collector, not a dealer or flipper. I'm selling my prized 1968 Oldsmobile 442 W30 in order to raise the necessary capitol to go into production on a patent I just obtained after five years. I was never planning on every getting rid of this car but the business opportunity is too great. That being said, this car went through a meticulous four year, frame on restoration with no expense spared. I have enjoyed this car on the weekends with my family. It was built to drive and to enter into car shows. It has never failed to win Best of Show or Best in Class at every show it has ever attended. I will be as open and transparent about the car as I can. For very specific questions I will direct you to the owner of the restoration shop (Sparks Performance in San Juan Capistrano, California) that led the restoration. I have included lots of detailed photos and video. Well over $80k spent. When I got the car it was a very clean, rust free, original barn find in Nevada. What struck me was how very few options it had. It's a factory bench seat, column shift automatic with manual windows and was "climate delete." Someone had clearly special order the car with the intent to race it. There was a factory block out plate over the area where the climate controls would normally be. When I restored the car I kept it true to exactly how I found it. Though I do not physically "turn the wrenches" (I prefer to leave that to the best professionals I can find), I really enjoy hunting down NOS parts. I am proud to say that aside from the drivetrain, 99% of the cars interior trim, exterior trim, gauges, radio, etc are all original and restored or NOS parts that took me years to find. It is absolutely stunning inside and out. Even though the car was rust free, the body was disassembled and taken down to the metal. Repainted Wimbledon White with the famous black vertical 442 stripes. All glass, exterior trim, bumpers, grill, etc are in A+ condition- all restored original or new NOS parts. Car is as straight as an arrow. The interior was completed restored- NOS door panels, NOS shifter, NOS door handles and NOS dash. All gauges and radio were professionally restored. The seats were recovered in the same material as factory with new foam. I hate how loop carpet snags and becomes frazzled, so I had cut pile carpet installed- the same carpet they use in Lexus vehicles. Glass is all perfect. The original 400 motor was completely rebuilt with no expense spared. It was confirmed by the engine builder that it was the High Compression 400 motor that was used in the W30's. It was clear to the engine builder that the engine had never been taken apart. All internal parts, including the cam shaft were W30 spec. The engine was rebuilt with only the best internals, making it even stronger and more reliable than factory. Because I knew I would enjoy driving this car, we added certain components to make it perform better. Performance aluminum intake, headers, electronic ignition, aluminum radiator, mandrel bent exhaust with cross X and flowmaster 40 series mufflers. The car was taken to the dyno last year and was producing around 430 horsepower before the tires started breaking loose. With track tires, I am sure it would record nearly 500 horsepower. I had a 700R4 transmission built by Hughes Transmissions, new drive shaft, rebuilt 12 bolt pos rear end, power disc brakes in front and drums in back. Upgraded suspension all the way around, every bushing, hose and line replaced. I opted to keep the underside in terms of coating. I have always been leery of people selling cars with fresh sound deadener sprayed under the car- I always felt like it is used to hide rust and other damage. The underside of this 442 in original and honest, a little black paint here and there, but you can clearly see what good condition it is in. It was this great original condition that persuaded me to do a frame on restoration as opposed to a frame off. This 442 is absolutely stunning. It is as fast as hell, feels like it's on rails, has the nicest exhaust growl I have ever heard and doesn't get hot. My wife and I drove the 442 to shows in Las Vegas and San Francisco the last two summers and even when temps hit will over 100 degrees, the car never got hotter than 195 max. It always runs between 180-190 no matter the outside temperature, stuck in traffic or cruising an open freeway at 85 mph. There were a few personal touches that I decided to add- painting the engine block black, adding the rear spoiler, installing NOS black front fender wells as opposed to the red ones that came on it (The red was just too distracting on an all white & black car- only my opinion) and Radial TA's in place of bias ply tires. The dog dish wheels came on it from the factory and were also blasted and powder coated. During the restoration we found the build sheet under the back seat, however, it was basically just a pile of dust with a few legible pieces here and there. The portion that would have shown the factory W30 option was just powder, but every Olds 442 expert I have run into, including two guys from Hagerty have agreed with 99% certainty that this is a real deal W30 after close inspection. The bolt holes for the front under bumper OAI scoops, the engine internals and options (or lack thereof) offered proof of it's origins. This has always been good enough proof of me, HOWEVER, I am a realist and understand that documentation is very important when it comes to the price of muscle cars. I fully understand that if I had the build sheet, a simple piece of paper, this car would sell for twice as much. There are many, many W30 clones out on the road- I, along with many other, much more knowledgeable 442 experts believe this car to be the real deal, but I am not taking that into consideration with regards to my price. Whoever buys this car will be getting more for their money than they would ever believe. If I didn't have a once in a lifetime business opprtunity, this car would never be offered for sale. No disappointments here. I encourage interested parties to come and inspect the car themselves or have a good mechanic/ expert take a detailed look. Please contact me with any questions. Serious bidders only, no tire kickers please. No solicitors. I don't need help selling the car and I will be offering it for sale locally. |